Software

December 16, 2025, 3:56 AM EST. Between 2016 and 2024, 193 internet shutdowns occurred in 41 African countries, according to an open-access source book co-edited by Felicia Anthonio and Tony Roberts. The work offers 11 in-depth case studies showing how governments order blackouts through private operators, arguing they violate international human rights and disrupt online life. It finds shutdowns are timed to elections and protests to suppress dissent, with examples from Senegal, Uganda, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe. The trend shows digital authoritarianism rising, with scale, frequency, and sophistication increasing-partial shutdowns now targeting regions or sites to blunt opposition. The book calls for accountability as Africa's digitally connected landscape confronts higher risk to fundamental rights and democratic participation online.